Chapter 2 The Night She Couldn't Forget

• Alessia had spent the night staring at the ceiling, the events from earlier swirling in her mind like an endless loop. Her skin still tingled where his touch had burned, and her thoughts kept drifting back to his eyes—those dark, almost predatory eyes that saw through her, saw *everything*, and yet expected nothing.
• But nothing was ever as simple as it seemed when it came to Luciano De Rossi.
• When the sun finally dipped behind the horizon, Alessia slipped into a tight black dress that hugged her curves and made her feel dangerous. She could feel his presence lingering in the air, thick and heavy, as if he were already there—waiting. The thought of him alone in her mind made her pulse quicken, her heart hammer in her chest. She didn’t know what it was, but she *needed* him, needed to feel the spark between them again, like fire on her skin.
• As she made her way down the stairs of the mansion, she could hear the faintest sound of a deep voice in the other room. Her father’s office was just beyond the hallway, but she didn’t want to go there. Not yet. Not until she figured out what the hell was happening inside her. The last thing she wanted was to get caught in some dangerous game of secrets.
• But then, as if drawn by some invisible force, she stopped just outside the door. The faint scent of expensive cologne filled her senses. Her breath hitched.
• There he was.
• Luciano. The man who shouldn’t be in her life, yet somehow, he was. And the way he looked at her, the way his lips curled when she walked into the room—it was enough to make her knees weak.
• "Alessia," he said, his voice like silk, smooth and rich, pulling at every nerve in her body. “You look... stunning.”
• She tilted her head, holding his gaze as she crossed the threshold, the door clicking softly behind her. The air between them felt electric, charged with something raw. Something dangerous.
• “Thank you,” she said softly, her lips parting slightly as she drew in a breath. The heat from his gaze made her pulse spike. "I didn’t think I’d see you again so soon."
• He took a slow step forward, and her heartbeat quickened. The room felt smaller, more confined, as if the walls themselves were closing in on her. He was so close now, so close that she could feel the heat from his body, the dark, undeniable attraction pulsing between them.
• “I can’t stay away,” Luciano murmured, his breath warm against her ear as he leaned in just enough for her to feel the dangerous weight of him. His fingers brushed against her arm, and she shivered at the touch. It was the kind of shiver that started at her fingertips and ended between her legs. He knew exactly what he was doing.
• "You think you can just walk away from me?" he continued, his lips grazing her earlobe as his hand slowly trailed down her side. The sensation of his fingers on her skin was enough to make her dizzy. "After what we did? After what you *wanted* me to do to you?"
• Her stomach tightened, but she couldn’t pull away. Not when he made her feel this way. Not when the desire to be near him, to be consumed by him, was so strong it hurt.
• “I didn’t *want* anything,” Alessia lied, though her body betrayed her. She could feel the heat pooling between her thighs, a burn that had nothing to do with the temperature in the room. “I was just... curious.”
• Luciano chuckled darkly, the sound rich and full of warning. “Curious, hmm?” His lips brushed over her collarbone as his hand snaked around to her back, pulling her body even closer to his. She gasped, unable to stop herself, feeling the solid weight of him against her in the dim light. “Curious about what exactly, piccolina? About whether or not you could resist me?”
• “I can resist you,” she breathed, even as her body betrayed her with the frantic pace of her heartbeat.
• Luciano’s eyes darkened with amusement and desire. “Prove it,” he whispered, his voice a low growl that sent a shiver down her spine.
• And just like that, he kissed her.
• It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t sweet. It was brutal, ferocious, as if he was trying to consume her whole. His lips crushed against hers, his tongue plunging into her mouth with a possessiveness that made her head spin. He was taking control, and she couldn’t stop him. She didn’t want to.
• His hand slid down her waist, gripping her hip with such force that she gasped into the kiss. The feeling of his hand on her skin, the way he pulled her closer, made her dizzy with need. The kiss deepened, more urgent now, and she didn’t fight it. She couldn’t.
• Every part of her screamed for him, and she realized in that moment that she had never been more alive. Never been more *herself* than when he was touching her like this.
• “Luciano…” she moaned, breaking the kiss for a moment, but only long enough to look into his dark eyes. She could see the fire in them, the way he was losing himself, too. “What are we doing?”
• “Whatever the hell we want,” he answered, his voice a husky whisper before his lips claimed hers once again.
• The world outside that room no longer existed. It was just the two of them, locked in a dangerous, addictive game where neither of them was willing to walk away.
• The kiss was relentless. Every time Alessia thought she could breathe, he took her deeper, pulling her under with a hunger that made her pulse race. His hands were everywhere—on her back, her sides, threading through her hair—and each touch ignited something wild and untamable inside her.
• She didn’t care that it was dangerous. Didn’t care that this shouldn’t be happening. All she cared about in that moment was the heat of his body pressed against hers, the fire building in her chest, and the storm raging between them.
• Luciano broke the kiss and pulled back just enough to look down at her, his lips slick and swollen from their kiss, his breath ragged. His eyes smoldered with something dark, something raw, as if he were debating whether to pull her closer or push her away.
• “What are you so afraid of, Alessia?” His voice was low, deep, dangerous, sending a thrill down her spine. His fingers traced the line of her jaw, the touch light but possessive. “You want this just as much as I do.”
• Her mind raced. Was that true? Was she really ready for whatever this was—this dangerous, addictive pull between them? The part of her that was still rational screamed for her to stop, to run away before she lost herself. But the rest of her—the part that had been starving for something more than the sheltered life she had been living—was ready to be consumed by him.
• “I don’t know what I want,” she whispered, her voice barely audible as she fought to steady her breath. “But I can’t stop thinking about you.”
• Luciano’s smile was dark, knowing. “I’m not giving you a choice.”
• His lips crashed back onto hers, and this time, it was even more intense, more desperate. His hands found the zipper of her dress, tugging it down with a swift, practiced movement. The dress slid off her shoulders, leaving her exposed, vulnerable. She didn’t move to cover herself. Instead, she stood there, trembling with anticipation, her body aching for him.
• “You’re perfect,” he muttered against her lips, his hands caressing her bare skin as his body pressed into hers. “But this isn’t about perfection. This is about control.”
• With a sharp movement, Luciano turned her around, her back pressed against the cold wall of the study. His lips moved to her neck, his teeth grazing her skin, and Alessia gasped, the pleasure and pain blending together. She could feel his desire, thick and undeniable, pulsing through every inch of her.
• He gripped her wrists, pinning them above her head, his body still pressed tightly against hers. She felt the bulge of his pants, and it made her stomach flip with need. Every second, every touch, every kiss was pulling her deeper into a world she wasn’t sure she was ready for.
• “You want me to stop?” Luciano growled, his lips now hovering over hers, his breath hot against her skin.
• Alessia shook her head, her chest rising and falling in quick succession. “No.”
• His lips curved into a satisfied grin before he claimed her mouth once again. This time, it wasn’t just a kiss—it was a warning, a declaration of intent. She belonged to him now, in this moment. And as he kissed her deeper, she realized she was okay with that.
• He pulled back again, his gaze dark, assessing. “Good,” he said, his voice dangerously calm. “Because I’m not letting you go.”
• Before she could respond, Luciano’s lips trailed down her neck, his hands sliding down her body, over her hips, and back up again. The sensation was maddening—his touch electrifying, his presence overwhelming. Every inch of her screamed for more, and yet, a part of her was terrified by how easily she was giving in.
• Her breath caught as Luciano’s lips hovered just above her collarbone, his hands slipping between them. He paused for a moment, his eyes locking onto hers. “Are you sure?” he asked, the question laced with a dangerous edge.
• Alessia’s heart hammered in her chest, the answer burning on the tip of her tongue. But she couldn’t speak—couldn’t do anything but feel the heat building, the need for him consuming her completely.
• Luciano didn’t wait for her to answer. With one final, swift motion, he lifted her, and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, her back arching as he carried her toward the couch. His lips met hers again, silencing any protests she might have had. This time, there was no hesitation, no space between them. She was his, and he was going to make sure she knew it.
• Her heart raced as he laid her back on the plush cushions, his body looming over hers. He didn’t waste time. His lips found hers again, deepening the kiss with a hunger that made her forget everything.
• All of her reservations, all of her fears—they melted away as he kissed her harder, his hands moving over her body with a possessive urgency. The way he touched her was like a declaration, a promise that this—*them*—was inevitable, no matter how dangerous or forbidden.
• And she couldn’t stop herself. She didn’t want to.